Telcos under pressure to resolve fibre broadband bottlenecks

Nigeria's telecommunications sector is grappling with significant challenges that are slowing the rollout of fibre broadband, prompting urgent calls for action from operators and regulators.

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has highlighted that issues surrounding fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) deployment have become critical to Nigeria's digital transformation agenda. Current obstacles are limiting broadband expansion and digital inclusion, prompting a high-level policy forum in Lagos. ATCON President Tony Emoekpere confirmed that the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, will deliver the keynote address at the forum, themed “Fibre to the Home in Nigeria: Addressing Challenges, Strengthening Standards, and Ensuring Sustainable Deployment.”

Industry stakeholders, including telecom companies, infrastructure providers, investors, and policymakers, are expected to attend the forum to tackle structural impediments to fibre deployment. Operators consistently face multiple taxation, high right-of-way charges, regulatory bottlenecks, infrastructure vandalism, and inconsistent state policies. These constraints, coupled with high capital expenditure requirements and limited access to financing, significantly slow investment and network rollout.

ATCON emphasizes that fibre broadband, with its fixed infrastructure and long-term investment cycle, requires a regulatory approach distinct from mobile telecommunications. Existing policies, often designed for the mobile era, may not adequately address the complexities of FTTH and fibre-to-the-premises networks. The upcoming forum aims to generate practical solutions, focusing on regulatory reforms, infrastructure protection, technical standards, sustainable financing, infrastructure sharing, and improved stakeholder collaboration to accelerate Nigeria's digital economy ambitions.

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The fibre broadband ecosystem is fundamentally different from mobile telecommunications and requires tailored regulatory frameworks that reflect its unique operational realities.